Advent began a week ago, and with it I started on the Christmas cards. I figured out that if I do five cards each night, I'll have plenty of time to send them all, with only a minor effort and maybe fifteen minutes spent. So far, it's going well.
It finally dawned on me that I cannot clean the kitchen all in one day. Well, of course I could, if I didn't do much else. I'd rather not do it that way. So I made a list of what tasks cleaning the kitchen consists of, and I do as many of these on kitchen day as I can, and then the next day I'll try and do just one more. And the next, etc. If it's after working all day and I'm tired, I won't, but it's always in the plan, and if I can do it, I will. But, I'm going forward.
For years, at certain sunny times of the morning I'd notice how dusty the cabinet doors were, but wiping them all down thoroughly is a big deal, and then they get dusty again in no time anyway. After years of this futility, I got the notion to count them; there are twenty seven, plus two sections I also need to wipe down. So now, I just wipe down cabinet number one on the first of the month, the tenth cabinet on the 10th, etc. It takes seconds, and there is no more dust to be seen. On Sundays and holidays, I just don't do it and those get wiped the next month.
Right now, I'm also trying to bake for Christmas and decorate, so there's always too much going on. And in between, I try to keep up with my reading and sewing. I prefer it this way: doing a little of this and a little of that. It all seems to get done, or enough of it does to make a difference. Does this all seem nutty to you, or does it make sense?
You've got more of a system than I do! When I had a houseful of kids I had to be very much on top of things and needed to organize the labor force and the housework, but now that I live alone I'm free to just do "a little of this and a little of that" when I want. Usually I do more of it when expecting guests, and that happens often enough that the situation doesn't descend too far into chaos.
ReplyDeleteWell, Gretchen, I'm guessing that your place is pretty clean. :)
DeleteYes, I try to break a lot of jobs into much smaller increments. I find that often it is easier to get things done to completion that way, even when I don't have the long time span for a 'bigger' job.
ReplyDeleteRosemary
https://www.mapmakingthroughlife.blogspot.com
Right, and instead of feeling deflated when you can't do the whole thing, at least you are doing some of it, and it's encouraging to oneself!
DeleteI told myself I would write a few cards a day from the beginning of December and get them all done in no time at all. Of course this didn't happen and yet again I'm 'on the drag' as they say here in Suffolk and some of the cards won't get where they're going on time. I have had extra duties this year but I shouldn't use that as an excuse because I am just so disorganised!
ReplyDeleteYour scheme of kitchen cleaning sounds good, especially the cabinet door idea. I must really try it out as I find cleaning the kitchen such a trial.
I love your festive counter! <3
Clare, I can't believe you're as disorganized as I am - lets agree that you're not! But I'm sure you've got many other obligations, and if it makes you feel any better, I didn't get to any cards Monday and Tuesday this week, so I'm going to really try and catch up. Don't give up! :)
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